This invention relates to rotary tools for food processors, and more particularly to a French fry cutter tool for uniformly and cleanly cutting and slicing food items into elongated, rectangular shaped French fry cuts and similar types of cut food items.
Food processors to which the present invention relates are characterized by having a working bowl mountable on a base with tool drive means extending into the bowl for rotating a food processing tool in the bowl. Various selected rotary tools can be engaged on and driven by the drive means for performing many different food processing operations, as may be desired by the user. A detachable cover is secured over the top of the bowl during use, and the cover includes a hopper or feed tube which has a passageway extending downwardly through the cover into the bowl. Food items to be prepared may be placed in the feed tube and are then manually pushed down through the feed tube into the bowl by means of a removable pusher member which is adapted to slide down into the feed tube in the manner of a plunger. Further information with respect to food processors and their tools may be obtained by reference to U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,985,304--Sontheimer; 4,198,887--Williams; 4,200,244--Sontheimer; 4,216,917--Clare and Sontheimer; and 4,227,655--Williams.
The various interchangeable rotary tools which may be used in the food processor include slicing discs, grating discs, rasping discs, etc. which have a disc-like tool member formed of sheet metal, preferably of stainless steel, with one or more cutting elements projecting above the upper surface of the disc. These tools with their disc-like cutting member are intentionally positioned in the top of the bowl near the lower surface of the cover where they can perform the cutting operations on the food items introduced downwardly from the feed tube into the top of the bowl.
For the purpose of positioning the disc-like member in the top of the bowl, such a rotary tool may have a relatively long hollow hub extending down into the bowl which slides down into engagement around tool drive means or otherwise provides a driving connection between the tool hub and drive means extending into the bowl, to facilitate the quick and convenient mounting and replacement of the various disc-like cutting tools.
The present invention is directed to the type of rotary cutting tool which cuts food items such as potatoes, fruits, vegetables and other food items into elongated, rectangular-shaped French fry cuts or similar cuts.
As used herein the terms "French fry cuts" and "the cuts" are intended to mean the resulting elongated, rectangular stick-like pieces of the food after having been sliced by the rotating cutting tool. These French fry cuts are characterized by each having a rectangular or square cross section which requires the item to be sliced simultaneously along perpendicular planes. The French fry cut may be similar to, but are normally considerably larger in cross section than, julienne strips, and thus, French fry cuts require an entirely different, rugged cutting structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,198,887 entitled "Julienne Cutter Tool," describes one type of rotary disc tool for cutting julienne strips from food items. The present invention is directed to improvements in a French fry disc type of cutting tool.